Anatolian women value the importance of visual stimulation in infant development, and have so for centuries. The bright colours and simple shapes embroidered onto these wool blankets attract babies’ attention when they are wrapped in them, just as toys occupy babies in their strollers or cribs today.

What did your baby blanket look like and how does it compare to this Turkish baby blanket?

Responses

Posted by Brigitte Benamou

Click image to view large photo

My baby blanket was very simple compared to this Turkish baby blanket. My blanket was tightly woven cotton with a teddy bear and dots print on it. The teddy bears and dots were baby blue, magenta and yellow over a white background. This Turkish baby blanket seems like it is made out of a very high quality cotton blend and seems like it could withstand a lot of wear and tear. There was no sign of embroidery or detailing on my blanket however, this Turkish blanket shows great embroidery and rich colors used. The theme of bright and colorful seems to be a commonly used practice in the production of baby blankets whether they originate in Turkey or in Canada. The trim of my blanket was simply finished with stitching and no extra embellishments added on to it unlike the braided fringe as well as the knotted colorful additions on the sides of the Turkish blanket. By the looks of the detailing and the amount of work involved in making such an intricate piece, this Turkish blanket seems like it should be hung on a wall and not in the hands of a baby. My blanket seems a lot less special than this blanket and that it was used solely for the swaddling of a baby and nothing more. The Turkish blanket looks like it could be telling a very special story to its owner.